ON THE PERIPHERY
© Farouk
Asvat
On the periphery of so many things
Why did you not listen
To your heart
When you listened
To your mother's flesh
But I have exorcised the ghost
Of your laughter
And the mirror of madness
That was my eyes
For so many seasons
Now I sit here and watch you
Sadness reflecting your life
Love buried beneath the years
Of the music you desired
In the comfort of luxurious
lounges
©
farouk asvat
composed: 1985 [johannesburg, south africa under #apartheid
___________________________________________________________________________
¨ A CELEBRATION OF FLAMES by FAROUK
ASVAT
§ WINNER OF THE VITA AWARD
""A Celebration of Flames" is a
powerful, impassioned call. The sanity and courage of this collection arises
from the poet's unique experiential perceptions of his milieu, making him one
of the few who can write about these traumatic times with such lucidity and
lyricism. The strength of Farouk Asvat's poetry lies in the way he intertwines
the complex elements of social and political conflicts with intense personal
relationships. The wide tonal range extends from sensual and delicate insights
into the nature of passion to the satiric and humorous use of slang."
● Vita Award
citation
"Like hesitating snowflakes his words are fascinating
in their capricious wilfulness - like unexpected strokes of a whip."
● Susanne Baackmann,
University Of Albuquerque, USA
"His love poetry soars with an intense sensitivity,
it celebrates lyrically the joys of a most exquisite sensuousness."
● Marcia Leveson, University Of The Witwatersrand, The
Indicator
""A Celebration of Flames" (is) a
powerful, impassioned call. I admire the
sanity and courage of this. Your
position and perception make you one of the few who can write on this subject
without obscenity."
● Lionel Abrahams, editor
Purple Renoster & Sesame
"The legend of poet extraordinaire Farouk Asvat: -
like vintage wine, proper poetry matures with time, and like vintage art the
voice and wisdom of a poet worth the name is timeless."
● Mphutlane wa Bofelo, kagablog
"you almost catch your breath at some of the stanzas -
you can re-read it several times and be struck by new ideas, metaphors, elegiac
surprises, and the heartfelt poignancy"
● Aggrey Klaaste, editor Sowetan
"Out of an angry silence, a
polished poet is born."
● Anton Harber, editor Weekly Mail
___________________________________________________________________________
[§] Books by Farouk
Asvat:
● Sadness In
The House Of Love (novel)
● The
Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
● I Dream In
Long Sentences (poetry)
● The Wind
Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
● A
Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
● The Time
Of Our Lives (poetry)
● This
Masquerade (short stories)
● Bra Frooks
…
(poetry)*
● The
Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
● In The House Of Love
(novel)*
● Weapons Of
Words
(literary criticism)
¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
Buy the paperback and get the kindle edition FREE!
___________________________________________________________________________
● AAN DE PERIFERIE
Dutch translation by © Irene Scheltes
Aan de periferie van zovee l dingen,
Waarom luisterde je niet
Naar je hart
Toen je luisterde
Naar je moeders vlees
Maar ik heb de kwade geest uitgedreven
Van je lach
En de spiegel van waanzin
Die mijn ogen varen
Seizoenen achtereen
Nu zit ik hier en houd je in het oog
Verdriet weerspiegelt je leven:
Liefde ligt begraven onder de jaren
Van de muziek waarnaar je verlangde
In de weelde van luxueuze salons
Terwijl ik hier werk
Verweg
In de rustieke omgeving
Van een kliniek aan de periferie
Waar de honger loert
In de kozijnen van schamele huizen
In de ogen van schurftige honden
Op de rug van morogo-plukkende vrouwen:
We zitten in de keuken
Delen anecdotes en thee
Houdon hen in de gaten:
Springbok Reizen
Brengen een vrolijke troep toeristen
Kijkend door veilige verrekijkers
Van een heuvel op afstand:
Het leger van nijlpard en olifant
En de massa met molotovs,
Aangevuurd door de emoties van hun jeugdig avontuur
Hoe dan ook vermengd
Met het verlangen naar vrijheid,
Die hen niet toe zal laten
In de heksenketel van geweld:
Zij, roze gezichten, begerige ogen.
Moeten terug naar de plek
Waar frisse meisjes hul dijen ontbloten
In pin-up rokken, mode des doods
Pronkend in de neonstraten
Trotse gang naar vergetelheid
Dutch translation by kind permission of © Irene Scheltes
___________________________________________________________________________
● ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑ
Greek
translation by © Paulos Ioannou
Στην
περιφέρεια τόσων πολλών πραγμάτων
Γιατί δεν
αφουγκράστηκες
Την καρδιά
σου
Όταν
αφουγκράστηκες
Τη σάρκα της
μητέρας σου
Αλλά έχω
ξορκίσει το φάντασμα
Από το γέλιο
σου
Και ο
καθρέφτης της τρέλας
Που ήταν στα
μάτια μου
Για τόσες
εποχές
Τώρα κάθομαι
εδώ και σε παρακολουθώ
Η θλίψη που
αντικατοπτρίζει τη ζωή σας
Αγάπη
θαμμένη κάτω από τα χρόνια
Από τη
μουσική που επιθυμούσες
Στην άνεση
των πολυτελών σαλονιών
Greek
translation by kind permission of © Paulos
Ioannou
___________________________________________________________________________
[] acknowledgements:
On The Periphery was previously published in:
A Celebration Of Flames (donker, p38, 1987);
A Celebration of
Flames (heller fund, uc berkeley, california, usa, p32,
1988);
Aan De Periferie: Dutch translation by Irene Scheltes (1989);
ΣΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΦΕΡΕΙΑ : Greek
translation by © Paulos Ioannou
A Celebration Of Flames (piquant publications, p50, 2007);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon kindle, 2014);
A Celebration Of Flames (amazon paperback, p50, 2014).
(different versions: edited: 2007)
___________________________________________________________________________
© farouk asvat. All
rights reserved.
Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this
publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any
form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording,
printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the
internet. This publication shall also
not be stored in a retrieval system. And
the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or
binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author
in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be
obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly &
nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10,000 yuan (ren men bi) or US$1,500.
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
the NOVEL Sadness
In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in
paperback @ $20 & kindle @ only $5
Buy the paperback and get the kindle edition FREE!
[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
#love #literature #fiction
#novel #poetry #southafrica #apartheid #books #classics
#faroukasvat #weapons #of
#words #comparative #literature #literary #criticism
#a #celebration
#of #flames #on #the #periphery
● poems @ https://faroukasvat-poems.blogspot.com
● linkedin @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/farouk-asvat-52a6b642
● wikipedia @ https://en.everybodywiki.com/Farouk_Asvat
● all my books @ https://www.amazon.com/author/faroukasvat
● BE
A REVOLUTIONARY!
"Remember
that the highest rank that the human species can reach is to be a revolutionary."
●
Ernesto (Ché) Guevara
"Always
be a poet, even in prose."
●
Charles Baudelaire
"Read
ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods."
●
Ancient Chinese Proverb
#liberate #palestine
#stop #massacres
#stop #genocide
